trigger jobs

This is a discussion on trigger jobs within the Defensive Carry Guns forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; guys, this is a cross post from a different message board. I have to ask this at a few places, as I want to make ...

trigger jobs

guys, this is a cross post from a different message board. I have to ask this at a few places, as I want to make sure that 1. I am too stupid to know when a handgun sucks, or 2. Trigger jobs are out of control.

Okay, not trying to start a flame war here, so please don't.

This is so very serious, so I am asking this.

I have about 20 years shooting civilian and military, from 22's, to assault rifles on full auto, to explosives, and grenade launchers.

Here goes:

What is up with all of this "gritty" trigger crap? What about all of this putting apex triggers on a weapon out of the box?

Here is a post from OCDO I am part of:

Quote:

I have an M&P40 which I purchased last December. Out of the box, the trigger was gritty with varying "feels" as it traveled to its release point. So I disassemble the gun and carefully inspected its parts; how it worked, how they all worked together, and how the trigger operated. This gave me an idea.

For the next several weeks as I watched TV, I would "work" the trigger many, many times. What I did was (after a thorough cleaning) to dry fire the gun one time, then without racking the slide to reset the stricker, I would pull the trigger rapidly hundreds of times. I have done this well over 6,000 times so far. The result was a much smoother trigger and a better overall feel.

6000 times over several weeks? I called this the TJM, or Trigger Job Mafia.

When did all of these new pistols need trigger jobs? If so many need trigger jobs, then why aren't the triggers being made like this out of the box?

What do people mean the M&P has a "gritty" trigger? Mine is smooth as silk.

Only thing I did to mine was take it home, shoot it, clean it and put it away.

Has the handgun crowd become like the PC crowd, where new gear is bought just to mod it to say it was done?

What does this APEX trigger job that makes the M&P so much better? If it is so much better, and so many people are doing it, why hasn't S&W just changed the trigger around?

I am confused.

Now seriously, has anyone here ever felt the need to dry fire a weapon 6000 times over several weeks, just to start to carry it?

What is a "gritty" trigger? Lastly, I am being serious, if these trigger jobs are so much better, why are they not just standard? Am I just too much of a noob or stupid to miss out on a higher plane of handgun ownership?

Not sure but it sounds like he only dry fired it 1 time. He just continued to pull the trigger 5999 more times. He said without cycling the slide to reset the striker. Makes me wonder what good this would do anyhow. Sounds like he's a nut. To smooth one up, you would have to cycle the slide and pull the trigger (either dry, loaded, or using snap caps) repeatedly until it smooths up. This normally happens over the course of firing the weapon at the range, but some don't want to expend the ammo for this. haha I don't think any of them are "that" bad out of the box and they smooth up with a couple hundred rounds.

Makes me wonder what good this would do anyhow. Sounds like he's a nut. To smooth one up, you would have to cycle the slide and pull the trigger (either dry, loaded, or using snap caps) repeatedly until it smooths up. This normally happens over the course of firing the weapon at the range, but some don't want to expend the ammo for this.

That actually isn't true. Well, at least not for me it isn't. I have been doing this with the M&P45c I just bought and it has "de-gritted" the trigger quite a bit. If you take the slide of the gun and actuate the trigger (without having the striker cocked) the action is buttery smooth. However when you put the slid back on the gun and fire it to de-cock the striker and actuate the trigger you can feel quite a bit of grit in the "take up". By just pulling the trigger in the manner it's smoothed out the take up for me.

I have to admit. I LOVE everything about this gun but S&W should be EMBARRASSED at the stock trigger. As far as I am concerned it's a flaw and one they need to address. The trigger was so gritty on mine you could hear it grind from across the room.

To me the trigger is fine. It's just a way of selling more crap. M&P's can start off a little gritty, but they smooth out over time. I think a lot of the trigger job stuff has spilt over from 1911's, people just want to customize these days. Frankly after shooting 1911's all day, any polymer I pick up seems to have a poor trigger.

I have noticed that some of the S&W revolver triggers aren't all that smooth (new) either. Someone else made the same comment about the M&P semi-auto's that they were gritty. I didn't realize you were taking the slide "OFF" of the gun. Glad it's helped out some. I'd have to agree that if it's that gritty, they should be ashamed of themselves. Everyone else is able to make polymer guns that have atleast decent triggers out of the box. Why can't Smith & Wesson? Good luck with it Rollo. Other than that, they are nice guns.

In a similar vein, there is a debate about S&W revolver owners, as a default, putting in lighter springs to reduce the trigger weight. I do think that S&w has increased the trigger pull weight (DA) over the years. It is sometimes referred to as the "lawyer pull".

I would imagine a better trigger means more cost. The point of a pistol like an M&P is to give an acceptable trigger out of the box, but also keep the pistol at a reasonable price while giving the manufacturer a decent profit. That's why they don't come that way from the factory.

As you shoot more and more, you'll notice what people talk about when they about various trigger feels.

If the trigger doesn't get stuck and the gun goes bang when the trigger is pulled, I'm a happy camper. I guess my finger just isn't sensitive to differences in pull. I can tell one's different from another but so is driving my Chevy truck versus the wife's Explorer. They're different too, but both get me where I'm going. Either I'm too dumb (No comments requested) to know the difference between a good trigger and a bad one, or I haven't been spoiled by a trigger job that costs more than the gun.

Naa, I agree. I think people expect something that they won't get at these price points. The point of a trigger on these guns is to work well enough and be safe... not to "feel" amazing. At least, that's how I see it.

I mean, you're not going to be ecstatic after a SD shooting with "man officer, the trigger on my gun was GREAT! It was like silk, and the break was like glass rod!" I'm betting that you won't even remember what the pull felt like in that situation - as long as it works.

Admittedly, I applied the old technique of dry firing hundreds of cycles to a revolver and it was rather silly. In fact, it ended up galling the metal to a point that it required stoning of the internals and replacement of the firing pin. This is especially the case with stainless guns. If you want the action to be smoother while actually improving the function, I would have my gun coated in NP3-Plus by Robar. It makes the gun virtually impervious to rust while enhancing the base metal and making the action very smooth.

As for so-called ‘trigger jobs’ they are very subjective but basically, it involves stoning of the internal parts to reduce friction or that grit like' feel. Unless you’re an avid shooter, you may not even notice any difference. One thing I would be reluctant to do; is having any spring modification that evolves cutting. The aftermarket spring kits are also prone to weakening to the point of causing light strikes resulting in a failure to fire.

I suppose it just depends on how deep into this hobby some folks wish to go. As I said, I been there and I can't say it was worth it.

I would imagine a better trigger means more cost. The point of a pistol like an M&P is to give an acceptable trigger out of the box, but also keep the pistol at a reasonable price while giving the manufacturer a decent profit. That's why they don't come that way from the factory.

As you shoot more and more, you'll notice what people talk about when they about various trigger feels.

Glock is actually a few bucks cheaper then the M&P's and come with a trigger with no grit. I don't think it's a price point thing, I think it's just a flaw in the trigger.

"If so many need trigger jobs, then why aren't the triggers being made like this out of the box?"

lawyers and $

"What do people mean the M&P has a "gritty" trigger? "

they are crappier then a factory glock trigger, this is why a dropped mine to a 4.5# and smoothed it out.

"Mine is smooth as silk."

if that is all you are used to shooting, you arnt going to notice it....
if all you shoot is custom 1911's and pick up a PPK you will have a stroke pulling the trigger...

pick up a cheep hunting grade savage accutrigger and a rem 700BDL ... 1 is crisp smooth 3# the other is gritty. creepy and 8# pistols are no different, pick up a custom shop smith and a off the shelf smith...

Wait, I have been shooting for 20 years, and put hundreds of thousands of rounds down range. I have shot a PPK, 1911's, shot guns, grenade launchers, assault rifles, machine guns, AT4's, SAWs, 22's, etc...

What is this mysterious grit people speak of?

Also, really? 98% of factory triggers are crap? 98% I highly doubt that 98% of factory triggers are crap. Why would anyone buy a product where 98% of the units have a bad part that makes the product work.